Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Ellis Island

Opened on January 1, 1892, Ellis Island became the nation's premier federal immigration station. In operation until 1954, the station processed over 12 million immigrant steamship passengers. The main building was restored after 30 years of abandonment and opened as a museum on September 10, 1990. Today, over 40 percent of America's population can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island. It was such an interesting place to visit, seeing all the old ephemera brought back how real it was and no matter how unemotional you are, when you heard of the people being deported after being refused entry and read facts about how they wouldn't even relax immigration laws during the war to save 20 000 jewish children was very hard hitting. A beautiful museum.